Client Banner Ad Development

If you are a client designing your own banner ads for placement on Automotive Fleet, Business Fleet, Fleet Financials, Government Fleet, Green Fleet or Work Truck Online, you must follow all banner specifications found in Banners, of this online media kit. Banners delivered not meeting these required specifications will be returned for re-development to meet requirements.

The fee for building a web ad for a client is $100 an hour. The client needs to provide us with a headline, body copy text and any graphic elements such as logos, images, etc. needed for the banner ad. Banner ads require a message to entice the viewer to click on them. The client must provide the copy of the message regarding the product or service they are offering. The message should be delivered in the frame of the ad (or frames if animated), and should have no more than 30 characters per frame. They can have it animate for up to 15 seconds (3 frames at 5 seconds per frame is an acceptable example).

Guidelines for Designing Effective Banner Ads

When creating a web banner ad, it is important to look at it from the perspective of the viewers (or your potential customers).

KEEP THE FILE SIZE TO A MINIMUMSmaller files load faster and it increases the chance of being seen by visitors.

INCLUDE GOOD COPYUse of graphical elements is good, however, it's the copy that triggers people to find out more about your product. For a good copy:

KEEP IT SHORT. KEEP IT SIMPLE.You want visitors to look at your ad, get interested, and click on it, then find out more info about your product on your Web site (preferably on a relevant landing page on your site).Don’t try to fit all the benefits of your product into that small space.

TIP: Use an eye-catching hook. Think "headline". Headlines are what trigger people to read the story. Emphasize the benefits of your products more than the features of your products.

USE A CALL-TO-ACTIONBy using a Call-to-Action graphic or text you make it very clear to the visitor what you want them to do.For example: For More Information; Download Info Now; Click Here to Purchase

ANIMATED GIFsAvoid using photos and photo-like images on animated GIFs. Because of how GIFs work, the photos won’t look as nice and it will just make the file size huge. You will most likely be limited to having just one or two frames for the banner given the file size limits.

FLASH ADSIf you want to use photos in your ad (for Web sites only; not on e-newsletters), consider creating it in Flash. It will give you better return in terms of quality and file size.

LINK TO CAMPAIGN SPECIFIC LANDING PAGEWhen people click on the banner, they should be presented with the relevant campaign or information immediately. They do not want to go to your homepage and be forced to hunt for the information that may exist on another page of your site.